Paper Boats
by Serenity Goddess
Summary: Buffy and Xander share a moment while lost in the woods.


Title: Paper Boats (1/1)  
Author: Serenity Goddess  
Disclaimer: No characters belong to be blah blah.  
  
---  
  
*Crack*  
  
"What was that?" Buffy spun around.  
  
"Stepped on a twig," replied Xander nonchalantly, motioning for her to keep on walking. "Stupid forest is full of 'em. Why are we here again?"  
  
"Giles wants us to look for some herb. I think it's a herb. Maybe it's a shrub." Buffy mumbled as she hopped over a rock that was in her way.  
  
Xander followed her, but tripped over it instead. He got up almost immediately, hoping Buffy didn't see that. Fortunately for him, she didn't. She just kept on walking. "I don't even know what it looks like."  
  
"Willow gave us a drawing," said Buffy helpfully. She slid out a piece of paper from her pocket and passed it to Xander. "Looks pretty obscene to me."  
  
Xander stared at the picture for a while, tilting his head and examining it with much interest. "Can I keep this after we're done with it?"  
  
Buffy tossed him a dirty look and snatched the paper from him.   
  
"If Giles had any sense he wouldn't have sent us," Xander continued, following Buffy closely. "It took me half an hour to realise we were actually in the forest."  
  
"Willow and Giles had to prepare the whole ritual thing. And there's no way they're going to let us do *that* after last month's disaster."  
  
"So I read a few Latin words wrongly, what's the big deal?"  
  
"The big deal was you set Giles aflame."  
  
"It was only second-degree burns," answered Xander in his own defense. "It's not like I killed him."  
  
Buffy didn't say anything, but kneeled down instead. She examined a small plant growing at the base of the tree and motioned for Xander to come. "Does this look like it?"  
  
"Nah, not erotic enough."  
  
Buffy laughed and got up. "At this rate, I don't see how we're ever going to find it. You would think the magic shop would have some."  
  
"Out of stock," answered Xander. "We're not the only crazy people out there."  
  
"This is ridiculous!" Buffy nearly screamed in frustration. "Do I look like a herb finder to you?"  
  
Xander decided it was best not to answer her rhetorical question. He just gave her a smile and wandered off ahead, examining the plant life in the surrounding area. He spotted something interesting and looked down. "This looks like a pretty cool herb."  
  
"Yes, but we don't need it," said Buffy.  
  
"We never need the cool herbs," Xander commented, "All we use is the smelly, disgusting looking ones that look like something my mom makes for dinner."  
  
Buffy didn't reply, but instead she stared straight ahead. Xander followed her gaze and tried to see what she was looking at. "What is it?"  
  
"Does that look like a stream to you?"   
  
"Why, yes it..uh."  
  
"Great." Buffy walked off towards the stream. "This is just great. Either we're back where we started, or the stream flows in one big circle."  
  
"It doesn't."  
  
"This is just dandy," growled Buffy. "You know what other girls are doing right now? They're going shopping, or watching movies, or talking about their boyfriends. Me? I'm stuck in the woods trying to find a pornographic herb. Great. Just great."  
  
"Not to spoil your ... err... mood or anything," Xander ventured out his words slowly. "But I did tell you to follow the stream."  
  
"Yes, but you also told me to jump *into* the stream so I could get the 'wet T-shirt' effect. I didn't listen to you then, now did I?"  
  
"And see what happened? We're lost."   
  
"No, we're not lost. Don't be silly," Buffy looked out into the wilderness and tried to think if she remembered the way out. "Getting lost is for babies."  
  
Xander shrugged his shoulders and sat down by the stream, dipping his finger into the cold icy water just for fun. Something caught his eye and he bent down and scooped it up. "Hey! Look. Some kid's paper boat."  
  
"Does it have a compass on it?" asked Buffy helplessly.  
  
"No, but it looks kinda cool," said Xander. "It got caught between the rocks here. Let's see if I can fix it."  
  
Buffy walked over to him and plopped down beside him. She watched him as he fiddled with the toy. "You know what this reminds me of?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The story about that tin soldier. The one who was in love with the ballerina."  
  
"Didn't they both die horribly in the end?" asked Xander as he turned the boat upside down and examined its workmanship.  
  
"They burnt together in the fireplace," Buffy looked down at her reflection in the stream. "I think it's kind of romantic."  
  
"Getting torched alive is romantic," said Xander. "Giles must really be in love with me by now."  
  
Buffy gave a giggle. She looked over his shoulder and took the boat from him. "You've got to fold the edges here if you want it to keep its balance." She demonstrated for him. "You can't do anything, can you."  
  
"That's mean." Xander gave her a look of feigned hurt and snatched the boat back from her. He began playing with it again.  
  
"I'm sorry," said Buffy , trying to suppress another giggle. "I take that back. You can do a lot of things."  
  
"Half of which I offered to show you, but you said it would ruin our friendship."  
  
Buffy laughed. "What I'd give to be that paper boat."  
  
Xander looked up at her, puzzled. "You want my hands all over you?"  
  
"No!" exclaimed Buffy. "I meant ... you know, to just keep on sailing with no where to go."  
  
"Something tells me you've had this thought more than once," observed Xander. He held the paper boat up in the sunlight to have a better look at it. "Want to talk about it?"  
  
"No, not really." Buffy paused, and then rethought her opinion. "It's just that ... I sometimes wonder what it's like to be someone without a clear future or direction. With me it's always, 'Born to do This' , 'Chosen To Do That' , 'Destined To Become This'. It gets pretty boring after a while."  
  
"Some people crave direction."  
  
"I don't." Buffy stared blankly ahead. "It's ... I mean my whole future has been planned out for me and I don't even get a say in it. At least not a very big say. After college everyone's going to be leaving and finding their dream, or whatever, and I'm going to be stuck here slaying vampires till I'm 30. If I even live that long."  
  
"I'll be here."  
  
"No, you won't," Buffy looked down at her nails. "Sure, you'll be here for a while. And then you'll leave just like the others, get married and have lots of kids, and when you're seventy-five years old you'll look back and say "Buffy who? Was she that blonde chick?""  
  
"I'll never do that." He put the boat down. "I promise you, I'll be here for as long as you need me. You can count on me."  
  
Buffy turned and look at him, and at the sincerity in his eyes. "You promise?"  
  
"Cross my heart."  
  
She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."  
  
He looked at her for a moment, and then turned uneasily away before cleverly changing the topic. He picked up the paper boat. "I think I fixed it."  
  
"Let's watch her sail, then." Buffy stood up.  
Xander carefully placed the boat in his palms and brought it to the water's edge. With a slow, gentle movement, he placed it on the water and watched with the enthusiasm of a child as it began to float slowly down the stream. "It works!"  
  
"Yeah, I guess it does," said Buffy, laughing.  
  
Together, they watched it sail away.  



End file.
